Whet kids’ appetites for history by engaging them in genres with proven track records—mystery and adventure!

Pirates and Shipwrecks: Real Tales of Terror on the High Seas

When Daniel Collins and the rest of the crew of the Betsey set sail for Cuba in 1824, they are filled with optimism. They hope for an easy trip from Maine and lots of money for the lumber that fills the ship’s hold. They have no idea of the horrors that lie ahead. A sick captain, a brutal storm, a shipwreck, and then, most horrible of all, bloodthirsty pirates! The first story in a collection of five true tales about pirates and shipwrecks introduces readers to the perils of sailing the high seas, whether sailors find themselves battling the elements, pirates, or both.

Survival: Real Tales of Endurance in the Face of Disaster

Survival combines dramatic history with a compelling narrative for a book of five true historic tales that will ensnare even reluctant readers. Survival is the second book in a new series called Murder & Mayhem, which features true tales that whet kids’ appetites for history by engaging them in genres with proven track records—mystery and adventure. History is made of near misses, unexplained disappearances, unsolved mysteries, and bizarre events that are almost too weird to be true—almost! The Mystery & Mayhem series delves into these tidbits of history to provide kids with a jumping-off point into a lifelong habit of appreciating history.

Weird Disappearances: Real Tales of Missing People

Baby Virginia Dare and the other settlers of Roanoke Colony disappeared between the years of 1587 and 1590, never to be seen again. Where did they go? Historians are still trying to answer that question. This book discusses people who vanished against the backdrop of historical circumstances, such as the carving out of a new world in an ancient culture.

Daring Heists: Real Tales of Sensational Robberies and Robbers

In the early morning hours after St. Patrick’s Day in 1990, two thieves stole 13 works of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. This famous tale, the first story in a collection of five true tales about robberies and robbers, introduces readers to the suspenseful history of interesting crimes.

Great Escapes: Real Tales of Harrowing Getaways

Sometimes, an intolerable situation calls for a drastic measure―fleeing for freedom. Whether you’re a slave seeking freedom in the North or a convict swimming for your life in a shark-infested canal, the urge to be free drives your every move. In Great Escapes: Real Tales of Harrowing Getaways, readers ages 9 to 12 meet five ingenious fugitives and freedom seekers who all shared one common goal: escape.

Rebels and Revolutions: Real Tales of Radical Change in America

Throughout American history, people who worked to radically change society have been criticized, arrested, and even killed. Rebels and Revolutionaries: Real tales of Radical Change in America for ages 9 to 12 explores the lives of five firebrands who used muskets and marches, boycotts and lawsuits in their struggle for justice.

Earth, Wind, Fire, and Rain: Real Tales of Temperamental Elements

We might think humans have control over our environment, but Mother Nature has proven us wrong again and again. Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water: Real Tales of Temperamental Elements tells the story of five of America’s deadliest natural disasters that were made worse by human error, ignorance, and greed.

Epidemics and Pandemics: Real Tales of Deadly Diseases

Feel a tickle in your throat? Do you still have that headache? Could you be falling victim to a deadly virus? From history’s earliest days, bacteria and viruses have stalked humans. Stowing on wagons, ships, and airplanes, these diseases traversed the globe, infecting people in city streets and isolated hamlets. Epidemics and Pandemics: Real Tales of Deadly Diseases tells the tale of five of history’s most critical contagions and the havoc these diseases wreaked across the globe, including the bubonic plague, yellow fever, smallpox, Spanish influenza, and AIDS.

Eruptions and Explosions: Real Tales of Violent Outbursts

The energy released when volcanoes erupt, engines combust, or bombs explode both thrills and fascinates people. But this power also kills. Eruptions and Explosions: Real Tales of Violent Outbursts recounts the history of five blowups that continued to rattle the world long after the smoke had cleared and embers cooled.

Tomb Raiders: Real Tales of Grave Robberies

Why on earth would anyone want to dig up a grave? The characters in Tomb Raiders: Real Tales of Grave Robberies all have their reasons. Armed with shovels and crowbars, thieves throughout history have unearthed graves out of greed, hunger, and knowledge. Tomb Raiders recounts little-known stories of body snatchers and crooks of the crypt, including the starving colonists in Jamestown, Virginia, medical students in New York City in 1788, grave robbers raiding ancient Egyptian pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings and another pyramid in Sipán, Peru, and even kidnappers who see an opportunity in the tomb of President Abraham Lincoln!